They needed everything. Butlers, maids, chefs. As much as Kaj appreciated the heurosp who were temporarily assisting, they weren’t vampires, which meant their loyalties were not to them. And ultimately, Kaj wanted to provide for his people, give them opportunities they might not otherwise have.
Kaj turned the computer, then got to his feet. “Have at it. Hire yourself an underling while you’re at it. Probably wouldn’t hurt to get some legal counsel on the payroll. Someone who knows vampire law inside and out.”
“Understood.” Blāz dropped into the chair and flexed his fingers, his face splitting in a wide grin.
“I’m heading over to the training center,” Kaj explained. “Mirakel and Huracān should be arriving with the first seven we’ll be moving through.”
“Seven? That’s a good number.”
Kaj wasn’t sure about all that, but he was eager to get this underway.
“If you need help, find Kidel,” Kaj told him. “And all interviews will need to be done elsewhere. I don’t want anyone brought in until they’ve been vetted completely.”
Blāz didn’t look up, his fingers still flying over the keyboard. “Got it, boss.”
Confident they’d be bringing in a few newbies in the near future, Kaj left him to work and made his way to the training center. His phone buzzed as he stepped into the space. A quick glance told him the trainees had arrived. He shot a note to Obsidian to let him know, then headed to the rear entrance that would eliminate the need for entry via either residence, essentially reducing risk to those who lived on the premises. It wasn’t exactly easy to get to considering it wound through the mountain, but it would suffice.
Kaj could hear the sound of vehicle doors opening, closing, footsteps on pavement. He waited inside, legs spread wide, arms crossed over his chest.
A few seconds later, the exterior door swung open, Huracān leading the pack, stepping through the doors first, and offering a quick nod before moving toward him. All seven trainees had black hoods over their heads, each one with their hand on the shoulder of the one in front as they shuffled forward.
“You may remove the hood,” Kaj announced when they’d all stopped. “Then line up, side by side.”
He watched as they each discarded the face covering before lining up shoulder to shoulder.
Kaj considered each one, recalling the information Mirakel had provided when they’d gone through the selection process. Five males and two females, ranging in age from twenty-six to twenty-nine. In vampire years, they were considered young. But that was what Kaj wanted. Impressionable and moldable worked better when it came to building the ranks of their future warriors. They still had a ton to learn, more so from experiences than books, and learn they would. He’d been surprised to find the females listed but not at all disappointed. Having a daughter of his own, Kaj fully supported females having the ability to fight for what they believed in and to be prepared to protect themselves and others.
“Welcome,” he said gruffly.
No one spoke.
Good. They’d obviously listened to instructions.
“As you know, the first seven days you’re here are your trial period. Should we deem you incompetent to complete this program, you’ll be sent home to your parents so you can endeavor to do something else with your lives. The fastest way to be kicked out of here is to disrespect anyone you come in contact with. That means one another. I will not tolerate bickering between you. This is not a contest. We’re not here to determine who’s faster, stronger, smarter. You wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think you were capable. Now it’s your turn to prove yourself.”
Of course, Kaj wasn’t naive enough to believe they wouldn’t have altercations. He’d simply wanted to put it out there in the hopes they might opt to keep the peace simply because he’d deemed it necessary. However, he would not kick them out for acting like … the young they still were. To a degree, anyway.
Kaj paced down the line, looking from one face to another.
“At some point in the near future, we’ll be receiving twenty additional trainees. Angels. If any of you have a problem with that, I want you to step forward.”
No one moved.
Good for them.
“This is not meant to be fun for you. You will be working your asses off every night. I expect you to give one hundred fifty percent. If anyone’s unable to do that, I want you to step forward.”
Still no movement.
So far, so good.
Just to ensure they were listening, Kaj said, “If you know who I am, I want you to step forward.”
All seven took one step forward.
The rear doors opened and Mirakel stepped inside, then dumped seven duffel bags onto the floor.
“Tonight you’ll spend your time getting settled in and familiar with the facility. The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s not complete. That’s intentional.” He smirked. “We’re leaving the hard work to you. Consider it a character-building exercise. And because you will be living here, we’ll leave it to you to determine how to go about doing that. Tomorrow evening, when I return, I will expect to find an outline of steps you’ll be taking in order to accomplish your tasks. In the meantime … well, I suggest you get down to business. Congratulations, and remember, you will earn your right to remain here. This is not a privilege. Don’t ever forget that.”
After nodding to Huracān, Kaj glanced at all seven once more before turning and strolling out.
He was interested to see which of them broke first. Because he had no doubt, at least one of them would. Within the first forty-eight hours.
Acadia wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but from the moment her eyes had opened, she had felt the need to do something.
Sure, she had a bit more time on her hands right now because she was purposely avoiding the fiestreigh, shirking her duties to feed them. She was, however, continuing to feed Kaj, and as he had promised, he was feeding more often than was usual. Most males fed once a day to maintain their strength, but they didn’t require much because of the frequency. That wasn’t the case with Kaj. He was seeking her out twice daily and drinking longer than was usual.
Not that her body couldn’t handle it. He was, of course, returning the favor, and his energy was far more potent than any she’d taken in quite some time. Not since Obsidian had she felt that sort of power flow through her.
And while she was getting plenty of face time with Kaj, Acadia didn’t want their only interaction to be sexual in nature or even about feeding. Couples did more than spend their time in bed, and if they were going to pursue this, it was important they did something outside of the bedroom.
Which was why she had asked the heurosp to prepare lunch for the two of them and then requested one get a message to Kaj. Now she was in the fourth-floor attic awaiting his arrival. Initially she’d thought to have the windows opened to bring the outside in, but due to the low temperatures, she had forgone that idea. Instead, she’d had the ceilings decorated with white lights, which she thought to mimic stars, and their meal would be consumed on the blanket on the floor.
Yes, maybe she’d stolen the idea from the internet. She’d simply typed in first date ideas and had gotten a million to choose from. It seemed there was no limit to the human imagination. If they could think it up, they’d already done it, photographed it, and posted it for everyone else to learn from. Of course, her options were limited since she and Kaj couldn’t leave the residence due to safety concerns at the moment, so she’d gone the practical route. Hence the picnic in the attic.
“Acadia?”
The abrupt sound startled her, but that didn’t last long. The sound of Kaj’s voice brought warmth to her chest, settling her quickly. “Over here.”
“I’m sorry I’m late. I was dealing with—”
Kaj appeared, looking striking in his dark jeans and a black Henley. The male rarely wore anything that wasn’t of the midnight variety, and she found it suited him.
“What’s this?”
he asked, propping his hands on his hips and peering around.
“I thought we’d have lunch together.”
His gaze made its way back to her. “This was your idea?”
She nodded. “I wanted to do something … different, something to surprise you.”
“I like different.”
Kaj glanced at the blanket, then to his booted feet. A second later, he was toeing off his footwear and joining her.
As he lowered himself beside her, Acadia felt a strange swarm of anxiety bubble in her veins. Despite the fact she was one thousand five hundred and fifteen years old, she’d never been on a date before, and she figured, as far as terminology went, that was what this was. Back when she and Kaj had been getting to know one another, it had always been in his room. She knew he preferred privacy, as did she, so this seemed a suitable solution to hiding out in one of their rooms and risking things turning sexual in nature. Granted, she wasn’t opposed to the idea, but it wasn’t her underlying reason for summoning him.
Needing something to do with her hands, Acadia began parsing out the chicken salad sandwiches and the chips, having opted for simple. Of course, there were four sandwiches—three for Kaj, one for her—and it didn’t take much time to divvy it up.
“Acadia?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you nervous?”
She smiled shyly. “Is it obvious?”
He chuckled.
“I’ve never been on a date before,” she admitted.
His expression sobered as though he was reading into the reasons why that was.
“I hope I’m doing this right,” she added quickly, not wanting to bring any unnecessary tension to the moment.
“Everything you do is right, balisra.”
She didn’t know about that, but she was happy he seemed pleased.
“I heard your trainees were coming today,” she prompted, hoping to get on a safe subject.
“Arrived a couple of hours ago. Seven of them.”
“How are they doing?”
“I think they’re a little shocked. The training facility is bare bones right now. Obsidian wanted to leave the building to them.”
“Oh, wow.” She smiled up at him. “That’s going to be interesting.”
“They’re young. They can handle it. Builds character.”
“True. How long do you think it’ll take?”
“To build? Or to build character?”
Acadia laughed. “The former.”
“A few months. Obsidian’s bringing in twenty trainees. With all hands on deck and ten hours a night … they should have it done by summer.”
“Just out of curiosity…” She picked at the crust on the bread. “Who’s going to be feeding the trainees?”
“Michael’s loaning us angels.”
Acadia frowned. “Angels?”
Kaj took a bite of his sandwich, chewed. “He said they’ve been bred for this.”
So what did that mean for her? For the Fae?
An inexplicable fear eliminated her appetite as she considered what that meant. She was only there to provide sustenance for the warriors and the fiestreigh. If they didn’t need her anymore—
A gentle hand landed on her arm. “Acadia, we’re keeping the trainees separate for a reason. It’ll take some time to build trust, and until then, we prefer to keep the fiestreigh separate. For your safety.”
She swallowed hard, holding his steady gaze. “Okay.”
“There are a lot of things in the works,” he continued. “And with more vampires coming on board, we’ll need the Fae. Until we have a blood source of our own, that is.”
Acadia nodded.
“You’re spread thin as it is. You said so yourself. And with you out of the mix, plus Briony…”
She frowned. “What’s wrong with Briony?”
His gaze shifted to his sandwich and he smiled. “It’s come to my attention that Mirakel has imprinted on the female. It’s safer if she is not providing for the other males. I requested she take a temporary time-out from her duties.”
Oddly, that news made her smile. Why, she wasn’t exactly sure. Briony was a special female. She’d always thought so. Sweet, innocent. And she was fairly certain she intimidated the males because of it. It was no secret that she had never availed herself to the males. Or the opposite. Which was a rarity. Especially considering the female’s age.
“That certainly explains some of the tension,” she told him. “I’ve noticed Mirakel’s been coming over and they’ve been hiding out in the laundry suite.”
Kaj laughed. “The laundry suite?” He took a sip of water. “He probably thought it was safer that way.”
“Safer?”
“Less intimate, I guess I should’ve said. Then again, I would have no problem getting you naked in the laundry suite. Or any other staff-only room.”
Acadia was grateful for the dim lighting because her cheeks were burning from her blush.
“So what exactly does one do on a first date?” she prompted, forcing herself to eat. “I read about ideas on the internet, but…”
“Good question.”
She locked eyes with his. “You’ve never been on a date?”
“Not in the traditional sense, no.” His gaze shifted to his sandwich. “I’ve always been employed by my father. Dating wasn’t conducive to protecting the Alpha. So I saw no reason to pretend otherwise.”
She thought about Bijou and, in turn, Bijou’s mother. “Have you ever been in love?”
“No.” His beautiful green eyes lifted to meet hers. “Not until you, that is.”
Another blush warmed her. “What about Bijou’s mother?”
“It wasn’t love.” He reached for a second sandwich. “It was a mutual attraction. I met her on one of Kardobahn’s trips. He would insist on interacting with the race, so from time to time, he would travel. The Zenith went with him, of course. One night, I met a female who was working one of the reception halls.”
“What was her name?”
“Alya.” He took a drink of water. “I remember thinking she had kind eyes. Honest eyes.” His lips thinned. “Safe to say, I’m not a good judge of character.”
“Why’s that?”
“Her kind, honest eyes didn’t bother to tell me she was pregnant.”
Oh. “Perhaps she didn’t want to burden you.”
Kaj’s dark brows lowered. “Burden? Bijou’s my blood. I hardly see that as a burden.”
“That’s not what I mean,” she said quickly. “You said it yourself, it was a mutual attraction. Perhaps she knew you weren’t looking for more than that.”
He nodded. “Perhaps. Doesn’t change the fact she kept something vitally important from me.”
Acadia agreed. It didn’t. But since the female wasn’t alive to explain her reasons, she didn’t feel it her place to dissect them.
“Well, I’m glad Bijou found you.”
His face relaxed. “I am, too.” He smiled. “I just wish I’d been around to see her grow up.”
“Do you wish for more children?” she asked, managing to force the words past the lump in her throat.
Kaj’s eyes lifted to hers, held firm. “Balisra, the only thing I wish is to have you for the rest of my days. Should we be blessed with young, then so be it.”
She couldn’t look at him. The fact that she would never have children was a pain she couldn’t deal with. God had made the Fae infertile. Those who were here in the mansion were all that remained of her race. And though they were immortal, there would not be any more to carry on their lineage. They were all that remained.
Acadia flinched when Kaj’s warm hand curled beneath her chin. He had moved closer.
“It will all work out in the end, balisra. Trust me on that.”
Leaning into him, she nodded. She did trust him.
But she also knew what the Almighty was capable of. And some things were simply not meant to be.
Lying in the hospital bed, Jane stared up at the televi
sion. It claimed to be a previously aired news update, but she had no frame of reference to know whether the stories they mentioned were relevant to her or not. Did previously aired mean recently? Or was it from a year ago? She’d yet to figure out the whys and hows of her surroundings, and those she was interacting with hadn’t offered much, either.
This was day six for her. That was all she knew. Six days into a life she couldn’t remember, one where she didn’t have a name or a family, no shelter, no means of getting to and from. Despite the fact she’d been told she was found injured on the street somewhere, she couldn’t remember that, nor could she remember being brought here. The hospital room she resided in was the first and only deposit in her memory bank.
She probably should’ve been grateful that the nurses and doctors, as they called themselves, had started referring to her as Jane. Simple name, not flashy. She wasn’t sure it suited her, or even how they’d come to decide on it, but it would do, she figured. At the least, it seemed to make everyone else more comfortable to have a way of referring to her.
According to Dr. Chopra, Jane had suffered a concussion, which she said likely contributed to the amnesia, as well as a plethora of broken bones, including her left foot and ankle, right thigh, right elbow, the pinky finger on her left hand. Not to mention, her nose and some sort of tear in her hip. None of which they’d figured out until they’d done extensive x-rays. Dr. Chopra had determined either she had a high threshold for pain or she possibly suffered from a disease that didn’t allow her to feel it.
Jane wasn’t sure about anything other than the fact she was now confined to this bed for an undetermined amount of time. Dr. Chopra said they would take it one day at a time, but they wouldn’t be discussing discharge until she was able to take care of herself.
For some reason, that had settled her nerves. Having thought about being released into the great big world had caused undue anxiety and triggered another of those panic attacks.
Didn’t mean Jane wasn’t thinking about what she would do when they did let her leave. Whether it was in a few days or a few months. Where she would go once she left the safety of this place was anyone’s guess. Trudy, the kind, older nurse who had seemingly befriended her, had told her there was a shelter she could seek. She’d even given Jane a card with the name of a church but told her she didn’t need to worry about it yet.
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